Each and every day we are faced with a situation where a decision must be made, and we have to live with that decision from there on out. It is no different when pertaining to our professional lives. Most of us have a clear sense of what is right and wrong, but we do not always choose the path that is the most ethical. The decisions we make, whether they are the good or the bad ones, may very well have an impact on our future in our current fields of work. That being said, which is the best way to handle an ethical dilemma in the work place? I may not be able to answer this question for everyone, but I do have the ability to share how I would react and handle some of these dilemmas. Throughout this paper I will describe five ethical dilemma scenarios, and explain how I would go about handling each of them.
The first scenario describes a situation where I am asked by my boss to falsify his expense account in order for him to spend beyond what is available to him. Not only does this go against my own ethical beliefs, but it goes against company policy. The first thing I would do is respond in a non-judgmental manner and show that I am indifferent to his decision to steal from the company. I would then politely refuse to do so, explaining that I would not feel comfortable breaking the rules that I agreed to follow. By doing this, I show that while I do respect his authority, I respect my job security even more. I believe that my boss would respect my decision based on the fact that I care about my job, and have no intentions of talking about the uncomfortable situation any further.
The second scenario describes a situation where my boss instructs me to schedule lunch dates for him and his mistress. I have done this every week since starting at the company. I do not enjoy doing this, and when I meet his wife at a luncheon, she asks me where he is every time she calls the office afterwards. This is a very uncomfortable situation, so I no longer want to be an accomplice to his infidelity. I would explain to my boss that since I have met his wife and she asks me where he is every time she calls, I no longer want to be a part of the situation. I would let him know that what goes on outside of the office is none of my business, and that I do not feel it is professional for me to be involved. Showing him that I only care about my job, and not about the unethical decisions he makes, will make it easier for him to trust me not to discuss it with anyone.
In the third scenario, I accept an invitation from another department’s manager to have dinner. After dinner at a very expensive restaurant, where work is not even conversed, she attempts to pay the bill with a corporate credit card. In this situation I would thank the manager for a wonderful dinner, and insist that I pay for the meal myself. Even though it would be expensive, it would save me the ethical dilemma of using corporate money for extracurricular activities. Also, I would not be offending the manager by explaining to her that she is wrong in her decision to use the card. In my eyes, this is a win-win situation where the outcome is a positive one.
In the fourth scenario, I accidentally spill the contents of a letter marked “confidential” on my desk. Even though I try not to look, I notice that the contents show that my company is taking part in the “scandal of the century.” This is another tricky one. Company owners and managers should have a “social” responsibility in addition to the responsibility of running a profitable and respected business (Frederick, 1995). In this situation, I would pack all of the evidence that I saw back into the bag and continue on with my life as if I had never seen it. While I may not agree with what the company is doing, it is more important to be able to provide for my family. By confronting my superiors, I am involving myself even more, which could implicate me if they were to ever get caught. Everyone would love to ride in on their white horse and save the day, but sometimes putting food on my family’s table is more important.
In the fifth scenario, a friend of mine at work decides to take her “sampling” of company property too far. She plans to throw a party at the company’s retreat condo, of which she as borrowed the keys while the boss will not be there. Because I am friends with this person, I would persistently try to dissuade her from going through with this idea. I would explain to her that not only will she put her own job at jeopardy, but others’ in the office, as well. Sometimes, it only takes one person to be the powerful force against negative long-term habits (Caroselli, 2003). Not taking part in her terrible plan will save me my job, and not talking about it any further will save our friendship. Personally, it is my duty as a friend to tell her that she is making a horrible mistake, but not to tell her what to do. In the end, I would hope she would take my advice to heart, and not continue on with it.
It is not always easy to make the most ethical decision in the workplace. The ramifications for taking either side can be great, and in many cases very negative. All we can do is try our best to take the moral path, while making sure we do not jeopardize our professions. The high road, most of the time, is the quickest route to success
Caroselli, M. (2002). Business Ethics Activity Book: 50 Exercises for Promoting Integrity at Work. Retrieved from http://site.ebrary.com/lib/ashford/search.action?p00=ethical+dilemmas+in+the+workplace&search=Search+ebrary
Frederick, W.C. (1995). Values, Nature, and Culture in the American Corporation. Retrieved from http://site.ebrary.com/lib/ashford/search.action?p00=ethical+dilemmas+in+the+workplace&search=Search+ebrary
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